Soldiers
by Deandra
Summary: Morwen discovers there are different kinds of soldiers. ONESHOT. Part 93 of the Elfwine Chronicles.


**_Part 93 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes._**

**Soldiers**

_**(Oct, 36 IV)**_

Phinion watched silently as Caranhir exited the pay tent with his last wages in hand. Their captain wished the man farewell and good luck, then moved away. As he did, Caranhir lifted his eyes and spotted Phinion, then quickly came to join him.

"So, this is it, then?" Phinion asked, reluctant to part. "I still cannot quite fathom you are doing this. You truly wish to marry this girl?"

Caranhir grinned and nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, my friend! I most definitely do! Already she is softening. I think when you meet her again you will hardly know her as the girl we first saw in Minas Tirith."

Phinion shrugged, then extended his hand and they grasped arms in their usual comradely manner. "Then I wish you well, though I will miss your company greatly."

Caranhir hesitated only a moment before drawing his friend into a brotherly embrace. "You take care. I do not want to hear of your demise, or even a serious wound. Stay sharp, even if I am not nearby to keep an eye on you!"

Phinion laughed and drew back, pretending to be affronted. "Who kept an eye on who? I remember saving your neck more than once!"

The two grinned at one another, then sobered. "You know where my family lives, and you know how to write to me. Stay in touch, my friend. Let me know where you settle and I will try to visit when I take my next leave, or if I am in the area," Phinion said.

"You as well. I expect to hear from you at least once in awhile."

Phinion suddenly smirked at the other man and asked, "So, have you told your family yet of your pending wedding? And who precisely you are marrying?"

Caranhir smiled, a glint in his eye. "I thought I would take her to meet them and tell them then. Is that not sufficient?"

Phinion choked back a laugh, answering, "Well, it certainly ought to raise their opinion of you, though they likely will be astonished at just how well you have done for yourself!"

And then there was no more left to say, so they merely embraced again before Caranhir moved away to bid farewell to the other men, and then mount his horse. Nodding one last time to Phinion, he turned and rode toward Minas Tirith.

xx

Over the top of the book he was reading, Theodred watched his sister pacing agitatedly about the library. She would stop and feign interest for a moment, then begin her wandering again. Finally, he could stand it no longer and inquired, "Morwen, why are you so nervous? Are you not looking forward to seeing Caranhir again?"

His sister jumped slightly at the question, as though she had just remembered there was someone else in the room. "What? Of…of course I am eager to see him. I just…this waiting is wearing on me, that is all."

Theodred concealed his grin behind the book. He wasn't surprised by her denial, but he knew Morwen too well to believe her version of things. She might like to think what she said was the truth, but he knew better.

Fortunately, just then a servant put in appearance, announcing Caranhir's arrival and holding the door for him to enter. For an instant, Morwen stared at him, wide-eyed, but whatever her misgivings about things, Caranhir was not equally hampered. In four long strides he reached her and swept her into his embrace, kissing her soundly.

Theodred was torn between embarrassment and his responsibility as Morwen's chaperone. At length, when the kiss did not seem to be ending any time soon, he cleared his throat as loudly as he could. Morwen jerked away from Caranhir, though he kept her trapped in his arms, and flushed bright red at her brother witnessing their greeting.

Caranhir, on the other hand, was completely unbothered by it and flashed the young man a grin. "Sorry! I did not see you there, Theodred. How have you been?"

With a snicker, Theodred assured him, "I am well. And you?"

"Never better! Especially," he said, turning to plant a kiss on Morwen's nose, "now that I have my lady back in my arms!"

Morwen struggled against his hold, without success, still quite red. Finally giving in to her discomfort, Caranhir released her, but took her arm and guided her to the nearby sofa, where he settled beside her. For the next several minutes, he caught up on news of Rohan with Theodred, giving Morwen time to regain her normal coloring and calm her hammering heart.

"So, what is the plan?" Theodred inquired.

"I have booked us on a boat to Linhir. I thought that might be easier on Morwen than an overland journey. How many of your guards will you wish to accompany us? I should not think you will need all of them on the river, and you should be safe enough in Linhir. Two?"

As Morwen knew little of such matters, Theodred assumed it was his place to make the decision. "I think two will be sufficient. The rest can remain here until we return. And you are a Ranger, so you can act as a third guard also."

Caranhir nodded his agreement to Theodred's proposal, pleasing the young man with his approbation. At just thirteen years, he was a bit young for this responsibility, and he was honored that his father had entrusted it to him. He wished to acquit himself well in how he handled things.

Morwen had been sitting silently through their conversation, but now asked, "When will we leave?"

Caranhir smiled warmly at her. "I was not certain when precisely you would arrive, so I booked the boat for three days from now. You may relax here in the city after your long ride, and we can spend time together." His grip on her hand tightened slightly.

Once they had finally gotten together in Rohan, it was too close to the time he needed to return to the Rangers for them to have much occasion to become better acquainted. He was hoping they would have a chance to learn more about each other before he introduced her to his parents.

Over the next few days, Theodred felt a bit out of place tagging along wherever his sister and her betrothed went. He was beginning to think he had been given this task not because his father trusted him, but because no one else wanted it. It was extremely awkward being around the two of them, even when they weren't kissing or being affectionate, and it was evident that they would much rather be alone. Eventually, he decided it was enough that he keep an eye on them without necessarily being in very close proximity to them, and he began trailing along some distance behind them rather than staying nearby. That seemed to suit everyone much better.

While they were in the city, Theodred took time to stop in a stationer's shop he found on the fourth level, and obtain a couple more journals, several pens and additional ink. Not having spent a great deal of time away from Edoras, he wanted to be sure to record all that happened on this journey.

At last they were on their way. Theodred was enjoying the boat ride immensely, so much so that he had to remind himself to check on his sister periodically, and not merely wander about the boat talking to the crew or watching the landscape slide by on the shore. But the second day out, their pleasant situation altered dramatically.

At supper, Morwen nervously asked, "Tell me about your parents, Caranhir. Will they like me, do you think?" The closer they drew to Linhir, the more on edge she was becoming, and she hoped he would say something to allay her fears.

Caranhir gave a snort of amusement. "Oh, yes, my sweet, they _will_ like you! Very much indeed! Possibly more than they like me!"

Both Morwen and Theodred gave him puzzled, questioning looks, so he continued, "My parents are very proper noble class. They have never cared much for my chosen profession or my rough behavior. When they learn who I am marrying, they will be greatly impressed that I did so well for myself! They will not have suspected I had it in me to win the hand of the daughter of Rohan's king!"

He returned to eating, slightly annoyed at just how true his words were. He was almost sorry to be falling into the mold his parents had always intended for him. Granted, that had never crossed his mind when he met and became enamored of Morwen, but it was true all the same.

He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he did not notice how silent and distant Morwen had become, but Theodred did not miss it. When the meal ended, Morwen excused herself and hurried away from them, leaving Caranhir to blink in surprise at her hasty departure. He had thought to spend the evening with her, perhaps enjoying the moonlight and a few kisses. It did not appear her intentions were the same as his.

He leaned his chin on his twined hands, his elbows on the table with his brow knit in thought. Theodred shifted uncomfortably beside him, aware of the tension that had arisen with Morwen's abrupt departure. After a moment, Caranhir turned to look at him questioningly, raising an eyebrow in silent query.

Recognizing the unasked question, Theodred said, "I think she is upset with you."

"What did I do?" Caranhir asked, truly perplexed.

"It was not what you did, but what you said, I think." Caranhir eyed him steadily, waiting for more, so he added, "I think she feels you may be marrying her because of who she is – to impress your parents. She – we, all of us – have grown up with people wanting to associate with us because of our position in society. Many of the nobles would gladly marry into Rohan's royal family if given half a chance. They do not require love to be involved. Morwen has always been a bit more sensitive to that than my brother or sister were before her."

Caranhir sighed and rubbed his face, then turned to stare at the door through which Morwen had gone. Not entirely knowing what he intended to say, he rose and moved slowly in that direction. Theodred didn't need to be told that he would best not follow them this time.

The one advantage to a boat was that Morwen's options were limited in where she could go. Leaving her cabin as the last resort, Caranhir made his way to the deck, and was not altogether surprised to spot her standing at the rear of the boat, shivering in the night air as she stared out over the water.

With the stealth born of his years as a Ranger, he was behind her without her hearing his approach, and he wrapped his arms around her before she could notice him and leave. Even so, she stiffened in his arms and her displeasure was evident in every line of her being.

He took a deep breath and then plunged in, opting for a direct, honest approach. "Morwen, regardless of what my parents think of you, I fell in love with _you_. The moment I first laid eyes on you I felt something I had never felt before. You were beautiful, yes, but more than that, you were charming and sweet and caring and…wonderful. And I knew I wanted you for my wife before I ever even knew your name, and long before I ever knew whose daughter you were. My friend, Phinion, thought I was mad at that first dance, when I announced my intent to him. He pointed out that you despised dancing with me and certainly would never consider marrying me – and _then_ he told me who you were. But I had already fallen in love with who _you_ were. Your parents made no difference."

Frostily, Morwen asked, "How can that be true? You did not even know me!"

Pressing a kiss to her head, he murmured, "Oh, but I did. I saw your heart. While everyone else was admiring your beauty, I saw much more in you. And I knew then that you were the woman for whom I would give up the work I love – being a Ranger – to settle down and raise a family, and finally become the genteel nobleman my family has always wanted. And that you also want me to be!"

He felt her posture soften then, and turned her to face him. "I love _you_, Morwen. Not your parents, not your title – you. Your family are good people, and I am honored to know them and call them friends, but were they nothing more than peasants in a bark hut, my feelings for you would be unchanged. I do not need royal in-laws, but I desperately need you beside me!"

With a gasp of overwhelmed delight, Morwen pulled him to her and fervently pressed her lips to his, and he gladly gathered her into his embrace. It was some while before the two of them called it a night, but by the time they did, Morwen was convinced of Caranhir's sincerity and left him in no doubt that she believed him.

The remainder of the trip passed peaceably, for which Theodred was grateful. He felt ill-equipped to deal with such romantic problems. At his young age, he was just beginning to discover the pleasure of female company, but he was hardly ready to take on the difficulties of a romantic entanglement for some time.

xx

Theodred and Morwen had been to Dol Amroth a time or two in their lives, but this was their first time veering off to Linhir once the Anduin exited into the Bay of Belfalas. Being a port city, Linhir was somewhat a smaller version of Dol Amroth, and trade related to the sea was much in evidence as they pulled into port.

Once Caranhir had gotten everyone settled into rooms at an inn, he took the pair on a tour of the town, seemingly in no hurry to make his way to his parents' house. He had confessed that he had not written to them of his betrothal or pending visit, so likely they were going to be very much surprised.

During the course of their conversations, Morwen had come to realize that his family life was not particularly similar to hers. There was not the closeness to his parents or his siblings that she enjoyed. Indeed, she had gotten the impression that he enjoyed spending time with her family more than with his own. Despite all her training in dealing with the noble class, she could not escape the trepidation she was feeling. She had gotten used to having to exert herself, in spite of her shyness, and interact with strangers, but meeting the parents of her betrothed was an altogether different proposition. The butterflies in her stomach would not be stilled no matter what she attempted.

The boat had pulled in mid-morning, so Caranhir kept them entertained until it was time for dinner. Taking them to a tavern he knew had good food, they settled in for their meal and conversation. More than an hour later, he finally decided he could put this off no longer.

Rising, he offered Morwen his hand to assist her, asking, "Shall we?"

The three made their way through the maze of streets to a large manor house on the outskirts of town. Though they had known Caranhir was of the nobility, his manner was such that one never really associated him with the truly wealthy. But looking at this house, it was apparent that his parents were very well-to-do.

For several moments, he stood at the gate, staring at the home of his youth. It had been more than a year since his last visit, but at least this time, he was likely to be well received. With a sigh, he pushed open the gate and guided Morwen through, with Theodred following closely behind them.

A servant saw them coming before they ever reached the door, and it was opened moments before they got there. An elderly woman smiled warmly at Caranhir, saying, "Welcome home, my lord! It is good to see you looking well."

"Thank you, Mallin. You look well also." Unselfconsciously, he bent and kissed her cheek, then turned to the pair that accompanied him. "This is Morwen and her brother, Theodred. And this is our dear housekeeper, Mallin, who always took especially good care of me!"

The woman laughed with embarrassment and pleasure, and curtsied to the visitors. "Pleasure to meet you both. Do come in." She gestured to her left. "Wait in the library. I will fetch your parents."

He nodded and moved to the room she had indicated. Once there, Theodred became absorbed in checking out the books on the shelves, while Morwen nervously wandered over to the window to look out into the garden. Caranhir had parked himself in a chair, but his leg restlessly shook from his foot tapping, belying his calm demeanor.

It was only a few moments before his parents put in appearance, and Caranhir was immediately on his feet. The three eyed each other awkwardly until Caranhir ventured, "Mother, Father, I have brought some people to meet you. These are my parents, Balahir and Miraluin. This is Morwen, my betrothed, and her brother, Theodred."

His announcement was met with deafening quiet from his parents, and Morwen smiled amiably at them, saying, "It is a pleasure to meet you both."

His mother recovered first and gave a thin smile in return. "It is…nice to meet you, too, dear – Morwen, was it? Are you from Lebennin?" Her eyes flicked to Morwen's blond hair and she blanched a bit at her question.

Morwen's gaze moved to Caranhir, and before she could respond, he realized he had fallen short in his introductions. No doubt his parents would chide him for it later. "Forgive me, Mother. I forgot to mention that Morwen is the daughter of King Eomer of Rohan, niece to Prince Elphir of Dol Amroth and Prince Faramir of Ithilien."

This additional information was rewarded with a stunned silence, and his Mother's mouth formed a startled "oh" for several moments before she realized it and pressed a smile back into place. Caranhir couldn't resist a twinge of amusement as he watched his parents mentally re-evaluate the situation and reassess their visitors.

Hastily, his Mother stepped forward, oozing charm. "Do be seated, dear. It is an honor to have you in our home!" She cast a puzzled eye at her son and inquired, "How is it that the two of you know each other?"

Theodred broke off his examination of the books to turn and watch the unfolding drama. Caranhir's parents were just as he had described them, and Caranhir had gone out of his way to fluster them with his announcement. Watching this all play out should prove quite interesting. As he moved toward the others, Caranhir's father stepped forward and offered his hand, "Lord Theodred, is it? A pleasure to meet you. Do be seated. I will send for refreshment."

The man nearly bolted for the door to instruct the servant waiting in the hall, while everyone else seated themselves around the room. Caranhir plunked down on the settee next to Morwen and took her hand in his, though it wasn't clear whether it was for her benefit or his own. Meanwhile, she was answering his mother's question. "We met at a dance in Minas Tirith, back in May. And then he pursued me to Rohan in order to win my affections."

Not usually one to tease, Morwen hadn't been able to resist giving the unvarnished truth about their 'courtship', and she was amused to note the look of mortification in his mother's eyes at her son's behavior.

While Morwen was not much of a tease, Theodred was and, seeing a perfect opportunity, he now entered the conversation by offering, "My sister could not abide him at first. He nearly drove her mad with his persistence in wooing her, but eventually he was successful."

Caranhir's mother made a small strangled sound in her throat and then forced another too-bright smile at this information. Her husband had rejoined her and was looking equally appalled, but remained silent on the matter, apparently deciding chastisement of his son would only make matters worse.

"So…what are your plans now?" his father inquired, almost reluctant to hear more.

Leaning back, Caranhir relaxed slightly, knowing the worst was over. "I have resigned from the Rangers and will go into business. I have been saving my money and will buy a house here in Linhir for us to live in. We will likely wed sometime in the spring, and I am planning to travel back to Rohan with Morwen to winter there. We have not had much opportunity to get to know one another or court properly, and this will allow us to do so. Beyond that, our plans are not firmly fixed yet, but I will let you know as soon as we set a wedding date."

Both his parents were looking a bit shocked and overwhelmed, and they merely nodded their understanding without comment. Fortunately, the servant arrived with the tray of refreshments just then, and it gave the couple time to mentally regroup and shift into their usual hospitable mode with visiting nobility.

Gradually, everyone in the room seemed to relax somewhat and interact a bit less formally, though Caranhir's parents continued to treat Morwen and Theodred with considerable deference. Certainly, they could not have dared hope for their son to marry any better than this, and the young lady was clearly intelligent and charming.

Theodred quickly lost interest in the proceedings once the initial shock wore off, and the meeting degenerated into the usual formal posturing of nobles. Still, he knew that he was here in something of an official capacity, and so on this occasion he was required to stay alert and participate.

Oddly enough, Caranhir seemed more uneasy with the situation than Theodred. At least Theodred was used to having to behave formally on a regular basis; Caranhir had gotten out of the habit while in the Rangers, and he found such things rather tedious.

For her part, Morwen presented herself well and carried the bulk of the conversation for the three visitors. Though she found it nerve-wracking, because of her innate shyness, she understood the respective situations of her two companions, and considered it her duty to take the lead.

Still, by the time Caranhir indicated they should be going, everyone in the room was somewhat relieved. Miraluin invited them to come to supper the next evening, and Morwen graciously accepted on their behalf. Balahir said they would send word to Caranhir's brothers and invite them as well, so that Morwen could meet the rest of the family also.

And then the three departed. For some time, they walked in silence, following Caranhir's lead which eventually took them to the seashore and a secluded beach area he knew about. Moving away from the pair from Rohan, he walked out to the edge of where the tide was rolling in, and stood staring out to sea.

Sensing he was out of place just now, Theodred turned and wandered down the shore a bit, leaving Morwen to approach her betrothed and speak privately.

It took her several minutes to work out what she should do, finally deciding to follow the example of her parents. Whenever they went to comfort one another, they began with an embrace. Moving to stand behind him, she slipped her arms around him and laid her cheek against his back. "Are you all right, beloved?" she asked softly.

At first there was no response, but then he gave a ragged sigh and raised his arm to bring her around to face him. Pulling her close he buried his face in her hair and simply held her quite some time. At length, he explained, "I wish they could just appreciate me for who I am, not for how well I meet their expectations for me. They are thrilled about everything that happened today just because it conforms to what they think is right and best. It does not occur to them to worry about whether or not I am happy."

Morwen stroked his head tenderly, feeling a bit fearful of what his remarks might mean. "Are you not happy?" she questioned hesitantly.

Immediately he pulled back to look her full in the face, avowing, "Of course I am, my sweet! You are the greatest happiness I have ever known, and I would not have you think otherwise, but they do not know that. They…are pleased with me for the wrong reasons." He felt like he was not explaining things very well, and he gazed frustratedly at her, wondering if she was taking his meaning in spite of his clumsy words.

Her hand came up and caressed his cheek, as she looked lovingly into his eyes. "_I_ care if you are happy in your choices. _I_ appreciate who you are. Truth be known, you do not meet any of my expectations, and yet I could not love you more! They are who they are, and you cannot change that, but I would not have it dampen your pleasure in the new life we are making together."

He pulled her close once more and murmured into her shoulder, "Thank you, beloved. Your approbation means more than anyone else's does. I will not let them trouble me so long as I have you. Who knows? They may yet find ample reason to be displeased with me!"

Morwen could not restrain a laugh, and pressed a kiss to his temple. "Well, I am quite certain you will yet manage to aggravate _me_! You seem to have a talent for it, and still I adore you!"

xx

If Morwen thought things would improve with the presence of his brothers, she was mistaken. It turned out that both Belzagar, the eldest, and Gaerant were of the same mindset as their parents. She watched the family interaction over supper the next evening with interest. Not so very long ago she herself had possessed the same sort of attitude as they did, setting the noble class above all others. Yet, watching them treat Caranhir as less deserving of their regard annoyed her greatly.

True, she was not a great advocate of soldiering and the profession he had heretofore claimed, but he was a good man with a good heart. They seemed to think his profession had robbed him of any value whatsoever, and it rankled her tremendously. Almost without being aware of it, she slipped onto the defensive, and it was not long before she was inundating them with tales of how well he was received in the royal courts of both Rohan and Gondor, particularly since the kings of both realms had themselves been renowned soldiers and considered it a worthy profession. She delighted in regaling them with stories of how he had bested the heir to Gondor's throne in archery, and acquitted himself quite well in sparring with Rohan's heir.

In the face of her remarks, his family backed off from their slighting comments of him, and even looked at him with a bit more regard than before. It was not lost on Caranhir what she was doing, and he was forced to hide his amusement behind his napkin a time or two at the comical expressions on his family's faces. There was little chance they would argue with a princess of Rohan, no matter how vehemently they might disagree with her words.

Theodred was also finding the interplay quite entertaining, and whenever his sister seemed to come up dry with stories, he happily threw in a few of his own, just to keep things spiced up.

By the time they finally called it a night and returned to the inn, Caranhir and Theodred had broken up with laughter a short distance from the house and chortled the entire way back. Morwen walked in silence, allowing them their triumph, and pleased that Caranhir was feeling better about things. They would still be here another couple of days, before beginning the journey back to Edoras. She hoped the lighter atmosphere would continue for the duration.

Theodred stepped inside while Caranhir pulled Morwen into the shadows to say goodnight, away from prying eyes. As he gazed tenderly into her eyes, glinting with light from a street lamp, he whispered, "It would seem I have found myself quite the defender. You, who profess to dislike war, are a formidable foe in battle, my love!"

His lips brushed hers lightly, and then came down with eager passion, making evident his pleasure with her actions. As Morwen lost herself in the embrace, she could not help smiling inwardly. Perhaps, like her mother, she did not march to defense of her country, but let any attack her loved ones and none would know a more terrible enemy.

_THE END_

_8/15/06 – 8/20/06_

Manners: was in 36 IV (between May-Jun); Theodred was 13, Morwen was 22 and Caranhir was 26

Caranhir's father: Balahir – "powerful lord" (N)

Mother: Miraluin – "blue jewel" (S)

Eldest bro: Belzagar – "great light of a sword" (A)

2nd bro: Gaerant – "sea gift" (S)

Housekeeper: Mallin – "golden song" (S)

_**End note: It is not essential that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written, but there is an advantage to doing so. The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order (#15 came after #17, I think), but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content.**_


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